Thar
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Previously, one only chewed over and thought of such far away places, or read about Thar's unusual life, of people, who sang and danced with exciting rhythm and melody, radiant colours in dress, Manik Chowkri, a beautiful and intricate design on ajraks and chadars and colours of rolling miles of desert sand. The remote area on the Southern edge of Pakistan, which is devoid of the basic infrastructure necessary for life or development, is a tourists' attraction.
Antiquity is the first message. The scenery is attractive in its own way. Goths (villages) and hills quaintly intersect the desert soil, open all around. The roads, wherever they are, swings and curves up and down. The vehicles bump up and down the roads and sandy track, giving fleeting glimpses of a rougher, more elemental existence. Villages pass by, with trees surrounding them and beautiful birds swashbuckling on the branches, like crows on a rainy day. The vegetation is reduced to the undergrowth and thorny shrubs. Cows move silently, hordes and hordes of them, jingling cowbells around their necks, and doves flutter in front of the moving vehicles, which may be struggling in the fourth gears. Fine waves of sand with bright silvery particles sparkle in the sunlight.
Sea was here in the past but it has now moved further south. That is why one still finds salt lakes along the roads. People of the area get the salt for their consumption from these lakes. Small mounds of salt are seen on the banks of the lakes. At places, crushers are seen working refining the salt and processing it into a powder form in the old fashion way.
Major attraction and one of the claims of the Sindh folklore to fame is the village Bhalwa where my curious sense was at its peak. Marvi -- Sindhi heroin famous for her chastity and patriotism -– lived in village. Just on the periphery of the village is a shed where it appeared that a tea stall had been set up during Marvi's melo (festival of Marvi). A few steps away is the "Marvi jo Khooh" (the well of Marvi) from where she used to provide water to her goats and sheep and where Umar Soomra had caught a glimpse of Marvi and had become so head-over-heels that he held the girl against her wishes. Lost in the magnificent stronghold, Marvi's longing for her native terrain gave birth to one of the most moving folklore of Sindh. Her tale has been immortalized by great Sindhi poet Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai. It is an integral part of our oral and folk heritage. Most Sindhi girls know all about Marvi. Ironically, Marvi is credited only with a dilapidated and poorly written sign in Sindhi and English languages.
Marvi has been treated in a manner as any other national legendary character. There is nothing inspiring about the village these days. The physical venue -- old well -- had been plastered over and totally replaced by an unmarked cemented structure, an absolutely uninspiring job. At the moment, the well is dry and no Marvi can come there and have her pitcher filled. All that is seen left of Marvi is her undying desire and ache for what is no longer there.
A mela organized here in her name has become one of the biggest social and business events in the Thar area. Local cultural committee organises the annual mela of one of the celebrated figures of Thar, with traditional zeal and enthusiasm. But the committee has no resources. Thousands of Tharis participate in the two-day mela. Scores of camels and horses are brought to the mela from various villages to take part in races. Malakhro (wrestling) also is held on the occasion. The stalls under shamyanas or in huts made of straw are set to do the business. One resident of Bhalwa said, "We Tharis realize that a nation which loses its connection with history soon loses its identity. Hence, we gather here to pay glowing tributes to Marvi, the legendary woman." Sadiq Faqir, Karim Faqir, Ustad Hussain Faqir, Yousuf Faqir, and Jeendo Khaskheli among other vocalists of Thar mesmerize the fans of the mela with their folk songs.
Further on the way from district headquarters Mithi to Nagar Parkar, Virawah is another important historic town. It used to be a seaport in the past. Remains and relics are scattered in and around this sleepy little town. But one notices the town afterwards. It begins just like any other typical dust and flies town on the roadside anywhere in remote Sindh, and it ends just as abruptly too. Before one could decide if this is the best place to explore, one is almost out of the village. The abrupt change in the landscape tells that village is left behind. Climb the nearby Karunjhar Hill and you can see landscape intersected by conical huts. At night I saw a series of lights from the hillock. Haloes of iridescent lights glowed in conical huts all around. This would be the place to come and take a look on Diwali nights when Hindu living in the area lit earthen lamps to mark the festival of lights I thought.
A segment of a wall existing there in the form of mountain of debris and some engraved stones give an ancient look in town that I photographed though the veracity of the wall's association with the past is yet to be discovered. But the site does give evidence of its distant past.
How do you people survive?" asked one of my more urban companions. "The greatest contribution of us Tharis is that against all odds we have kept the place inhabited for Pakistan," the answers came from one of the locals.
If those who are at the helm of affairs in the government have taken for granted that Thar does not occupy a significant place in the geography (and history) of the country, then they should read the Sur Marvi of the Risalo of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai. For the record sack!
posted @ 1:02 PM,
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The Fort - Shahi Qilla
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
The Lahore Fort, locally known as Shahi Qila, is located in the northwestern corner of Lahore's Walled City. The majestic edifice is the result of many centuries' work. According to the Pakistani historian Wali Ullah Khan, the earliest reference to the Fort comes in the history of Lahur (Lahore) compiled by Al-Biruni, which refers to a fort constructed in the early 11th century. Munshi Sujan Rae Bhandar, author of the Khulasa-tut-Tawarikh records that Malik Ayaz, a lieutenant of Sultan Mahmud, built a masonry fort at Lahore and inhabited the city. It is generally believed that present Lahore Fort is the same fort, which was damaged by the Mongols in 1241 and again in 1398 by a detachment of Timur's army, then rebuilt in 1421 by Sayyid, son of Khizr Khan.
The Fort was extensively refurbished, extended and upgraded during the Mughal era. This is why it is rightly attributed as one of the gems of the Mughal civilization. Emperor Jalal ud Did Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan, and Aurangzeb all added to it. During the period of Sikh occupation, Ranjit Singh added several pavilions on the upper ramparts. Some modifications to the Fort were made during the British period beginning in 1846 for housing facilities for colonial functions. Those modifications have been reverted and efforts made to bring the Fort back in its pre 1846 appearance.
Minar-e-Pakistan, 60 meters tall and a relatively new landmark in Lahore is on the one side of the Fort and the Badshahi (Imperial) Mosque and deMontmorency – oldest Dental Collage in Pakistan -- are across the courtyard from Alamgir Gate of the Fort. History and heritage are kept alive in the Lahore Fort, a protected national monument on UNESCO's list of World Heritage sites, in the form of Masti Gate, Diwan-i-Am, Moti Masjid, Lal Burg, Naulakha Pavilion and Shish Mahal. The Fort contains marble palaces decorated with mosaics and gilt. The elegance of the splendid monument is matchless.
The massive fortification walls, built by Emperor Akbar in the 1560s, tower over the older part of Lahore. The huge rectangle they define, 380 by 330 meters (1,250 by 1,080 feet), is filled with buildings from a variety of periods. The main gates are located alongside the centre of the western and eastern walls. A tour of the Fort in one go is like eating an elephant in one gulp, so it merits to be seen slowly like a child looks at a huge mural.
Enter the Fort through Alamgiri Gate and you find yourself in a Maktab Khana (Clerks' House). It is a small cloistered court surrounded by arcades in which clerks use to sit, recording the names of visitors. The inscription outside tells that King Jahangir built Maktab Khana in 1618. Another gateway is the Masti gate - a corruption of Masjid Gate - named after the mosque, which still stands outside the Gate. Built in 1566, the Gate only assumed its present name after the construction of the nearby Mosque in 1641 by Empress Maryam Zamani, mother of King Jahangir.
Inside, the Diwan-e-Am (Hall of Public Audience) is an open pavilion with 40 pillars built in 1631-32 by Emperor Shah Jahan, in order to shelter his subjects when they appeared before him. Originally, Akbar had built the marble pavilion and red sandstone balcony that is at the back of the Diwan-e-Am. Here the emperor appeared daily before the public who, in his days, used to gather under a canvas canopy. The serpentine sandstone brackets are typical of Akbar's commissions, with the depiction of animals showing Hindu influence. His two-stored Diwan-e-Khas (Hall of Private Audience), built in 1566, is behind the balcony and is reached by stairs on the right. The Khwabgah-e-Jahangir (Jahangir's Room of Dreams) is the main building running the length of the north side of Jahangir's Quadrangle and is typical of Jahangir's period in its austerity. It is now a museum, containing some excellent illustrated manuscripts (including the Akbar Nama - the daily chronicle of Akbar's reign), some beautiful calligraphy, good miniature paintings and a collection of Mughal coins.
Moti Masjid was built in the Shah Jahan era about 1645 A.D., and is one of the of three Moti (Pearl) Mosques built in the Mughal period, the others being the one at Agra Fort and another at Delhi built by Aurangzeb. The Moti Masjid was used as a treasury during the Sikh period.
The Lal Burj, an octagonal tower, was constructed in 1617-31. Intended as a summer pavilion, it is decorated on the outside with mosaic and filigree while the interior is filled with paintings from the Sikh period. The lower two stories were built during Jahangir and Shah Jahan's reign, while the upper story is a Sikh addition.
The Bungla, popularly called the Naulakha pavilion - edifice, which was built at the cost of nine lakhs (900,000 was a lot of money then), is a unique marble pavilion with a curved roof. It was constructed during Shah Jahan's reign in 1631-32 A.D. for the Empress when she resided at Lahore. It is often considered one of the finest buildings in Pakistan. The Shish Mahal is a multi-storied structure north of the Bungla. It is also part of the royal residence constructed by Shah Jahan in 1631-1632. The mirror work has been renovated lately.
No ordinary coldness of phrasing can express the surprise and delight with which one makes acquaintance while seeing the built heritage and sensing history and accumulated memories spread all around the Fort. The first impact that the Fort gives is an emotional one. It also has architectural and documentary values. The perspective of the Fort gives the visitors a wonderful sense of being there. In fact, that is my recommendation: be there.
The Fort was extensively refurbished, extended and upgraded during the Mughal era. This is why it is rightly attributed as one of the gems of the Mughal civilization. Emperor Jalal ud Did Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan, and Aurangzeb all added to it. During the period of Sikh occupation, Ranjit Singh added several pavilions on the upper ramparts. Some modifications to the Fort were made during the British period beginning in 1846 for housing facilities for colonial functions. Those modifications have been reverted and efforts made to bring the Fort back in its pre 1846 appearance.
Minar-e-Pakistan, 60 meters tall and a relatively new landmark in Lahore is on the one side of the Fort and the Badshahi (Imperial) Mosque and deMontmorency – oldest Dental Collage in Pakistan -- are across the courtyard from Alamgir Gate of the Fort. History and heritage are kept alive in the Lahore Fort, a protected national monument on UNESCO's list of World Heritage sites, in the form of Masti Gate, Diwan-i-Am, Moti Masjid, Lal Burg, Naulakha Pavilion and Shish Mahal. The Fort contains marble palaces decorated with mosaics and gilt. The elegance of the splendid monument is matchless.
The massive fortification walls, built by Emperor Akbar in the 1560s, tower over the older part of Lahore. The huge rectangle they define, 380 by 330 meters (1,250 by 1,080 feet), is filled with buildings from a variety of periods. The main gates are located alongside the centre of the western and eastern walls. A tour of the Fort in one go is like eating an elephant in one gulp, so it merits to be seen slowly like a child looks at a huge mural.
Enter the Fort through Alamgiri Gate and you find yourself in a Maktab Khana (Clerks' House). It is a small cloistered court surrounded by arcades in which clerks use to sit, recording the names of visitors. The inscription outside tells that King Jahangir built Maktab Khana in 1618. Another gateway is the Masti gate - a corruption of Masjid Gate - named after the mosque, which still stands outside the Gate. Built in 1566, the Gate only assumed its present name after the construction of the nearby Mosque in 1641 by Empress Maryam Zamani, mother of King Jahangir.
Inside, the Diwan-e-Am (Hall of Public Audience) is an open pavilion with 40 pillars built in 1631-32 by Emperor Shah Jahan, in order to shelter his subjects when they appeared before him. Originally, Akbar had built the marble pavilion and red sandstone balcony that is at the back of the Diwan-e-Am. Here the emperor appeared daily before the public who, in his days, used to gather under a canvas canopy. The serpentine sandstone brackets are typical of Akbar's commissions, with the depiction of animals showing Hindu influence. His two-stored Diwan-e-Khas (Hall of Private Audience), built in 1566, is behind the balcony and is reached by stairs on the right. The Khwabgah-e-Jahangir (Jahangir's Room of Dreams) is the main building running the length of the north side of Jahangir's Quadrangle and is typical of Jahangir's period in its austerity. It is now a museum, containing some excellent illustrated manuscripts (including the Akbar Nama - the daily chronicle of Akbar's reign), some beautiful calligraphy, good miniature paintings and a collection of Mughal coins.
Moti Masjid was built in the Shah Jahan era about 1645 A.D., and is one of the of three Moti (Pearl) Mosques built in the Mughal period, the others being the one at Agra Fort and another at Delhi built by Aurangzeb. The Moti Masjid was used as a treasury during the Sikh period.
The Lal Burj, an octagonal tower, was constructed in 1617-31. Intended as a summer pavilion, it is decorated on the outside with mosaic and filigree while the interior is filled with paintings from the Sikh period. The lower two stories were built during Jahangir and Shah Jahan's reign, while the upper story is a Sikh addition.
The Bungla, popularly called the Naulakha pavilion - edifice, which was built at the cost of nine lakhs (900,000 was a lot of money then), is a unique marble pavilion with a curved roof. It was constructed during Shah Jahan's reign in 1631-32 A.D. for the Empress when she resided at Lahore. It is often considered one of the finest buildings in Pakistan. The Shish Mahal is a multi-storied structure north of the Bungla. It is also part of the royal residence constructed by Shah Jahan in 1631-1632. The mirror work has been renovated lately.
No ordinary coldness of phrasing can express the surprise and delight with which one makes acquaintance while seeing the built heritage and sensing history and accumulated memories spread all around the Fort. The first impact that the Fort gives is an emotional one. It also has architectural and documentary values. The perspective of the Fort gives the visitors a wonderful sense of being there. In fact, that is my recommendation: be there.
posted @ 3:30 PM,
, links to this post
Baikal Calling
Monday, February 25, 2008
Most people interested in fairies must have heard about Lake Baikal situated in Russia - an area commonly known as the Paristan. During my Russian language studies in the National University of Modern Languages Islamabad, our Russian teacher, who knew about how Paristan (fairy land) is famous in our local literature, used to tell us tales of fairies famous in Russia.
Alesa told us that "Baikal is one of the most beautiful and fourth highest lake in the world. The panorama is such that fairies come and dance there and meet those who visit Baikal." She also told about the fairy of love and taught the language in the process.
Lake Baikal is a picturesque, tranquil and pollution free place shrouded in romantic legend. It is a miracle on land with endless green forests all around. All you see is blue, blue and more blue. It is like a coast-less entity, with frozen blue skin of the lake rippling into crests of broken crystal as it approaches the pebbled coast.
Even in winter the mighty tide of the sleeping lake challenges its icy restraints, crushing against the shoreline with the force of a glacier. A smooth sheath of white flows uninterrupted up to the horizon, where the faint outline of a majestic mountain range floats mysteriously on the hazy skyline.
There are the alpine meadows, the springs, and the flowers, but there is nothing like Baikal Lake itself. What is peculiar is its sudden change of mood. It could be blue, quiet and calm one moment, and then immediately the wind rises and huge waves appear. It is like an old man mumbling. It is difficult to exaggerate Lake Baikal's beauty or size.
Baikal is very deep. Plunging more than a mile deep in the middle, Baikal holds more water than any other lake on Earth. It is fed by more than 300 torrents, but none comes out of it. In its depths thrive between 1,500 to 1,800 animal species - most of them peculiar to Baikal. It is home to the world's only freshwater seal.
Lake Baikal shoreline is home to growing human activities, including controversial industrial concerns, camping grounds, and grazing fields. Environmentalists claim the growing human activities are unreliable, and disturb this heaven on earth. However, the biggest threat to Baikal comes from poachers and careless humans who visit there.
What is the most distinct feature of Baikal? It is a fairies land full of romantic legend. I have heard many stories and this one particularly touched me. Local lore has it that there was a fairy of love. Her job was to distribute love among those who needed that in life. (Who does not need it?) She wanted love to prevail the world over. She also protected Baikal's natural surroundings and used to be on the shores of Baikal every night.
One night she met a man who just appeared on the shore of Baikal out of the blue. The man's name too was Baikal: mortal, deprived, lonely, and it looked from his face that he needed some love in life. The fairy saw him and fell head over heals, taking it as a test case. Led over the waves of sympathy and challenge, they instantly crossed all the distances usually not possible in a short time. They together wove hopes for the future.
Their love came to a tragic end. Baikal thought he was no match to the fairy. He was afraid of himself for being human. And one day, he disappeared all of a sudden without any explanation, without warning. The fairy kept looking for him, found him and cut off his feet, making him unable to move. Who will decide about this love affair?
There are two other lakes that remind me of Baikal: one is the world's highest, Lake Toba in Simatra (Singapore) and the other lake is Saif ul Muluk in northern Pakistan. Besides similar environments, the romantic legends are also attached with both lakes. A man named Samosir once caught a fish in Toba Lake that transformed into a beautiful woman. She married Samosir and started living happily with him, bore him children. Their love too came to a tragic end when Samosir told someone the secret that her wife was a fish. Gods sent relentless rain, flooding the valley. Samosir drowned and an island grew from his body.
And the Lake Saiful Muluk we are more familiar; the Crown Prince of Persia hears about the beauty of the fairy Princess Badar Jamal - the daughter of king of Caucasus - and falls in love. The prince, after wandering and hardships, succeeds in winning the heart of Badar Jamal. The lake becomes the rendezvous where the lovers meet: contemplating matters of heart and their future together, hence the name. The Jinn guard of the queen of Parbat becomes jealous of their love and one day breaches the bank of the Lake to drown them. But the lovers escape and find shelter in a nearby cave, which still exists.
Off the beaten track, up in the upper Hunza Valley, is Lake Sheosar. This place offers beautiful views of distant peaks and a panoramic view of Deosai Plains. At Bara Pani, one may spend hours in a hope to watch a bear or enjoy fishing in the cold waters of Barwai Stream. From here, you can travel back via Skardu and Gilgit to enjoy the most thrilling drive along the Indus River, or continue to glacier areas if you have to. Or just sit there and think about Adam Khan and Durkhane's love lore. And if you hear intently, you hear Adam Khan playing his Ik Tara.
I keep thinking of the lovers and fairies that come to the lakes to swim and dance in moonlit nights. I tend to believe such legends. The first impact that I get after setting eyes on any alpine lake is simply romantic. You do not get tired seeing the play of sun and shade. When you devote enough time to look at lakes - Baikal, Saiful Muluk or any other - it becomes a bit magical - clouding over, changing colors, and cliffs of surrounding hills turn convex and concave according to the slant of light. These seem places where one can forget the stress of today's fast lane life. The legends keep haunting me, though.
Alesa told us that "Baikal is one of the most beautiful and fourth highest lake in the world. The panorama is such that fairies come and dance there and meet those who visit Baikal." She also told about the fairy of love and taught the language in the process.
Lake Baikal is a picturesque, tranquil and pollution free place shrouded in romantic legend. It is a miracle on land with endless green forests all around. All you see is blue, blue and more blue. It is like a coast-less entity, with frozen blue skin of the lake rippling into crests of broken crystal as it approaches the pebbled coast.
Even in winter the mighty tide of the sleeping lake challenges its icy restraints, crushing against the shoreline with the force of a glacier. A smooth sheath of white flows uninterrupted up to the horizon, where the faint outline of a majestic mountain range floats mysteriously on the hazy skyline.
There are the alpine meadows, the springs, and the flowers, but there is nothing like Baikal Lake itself. What is peculiar is its sudden change of mood. It could be blue, quiet and calm one moment, and then immediately the wind rises and huge waves appear. It is like an old man mumbling. It is difficult to exaggerate Lake Baikal's beauty or size.
Baikal is very deep. Plunging more than a mile deep in the middle, Baikal holds more water than any other lake on Earth. It is fed by more than 300 torrents, but none comes out of it. In its depths thrive between 1,500 to 1,800 animal species - most of them peculiar to Baikal. It is home to the world's only freshwater seal.
Lake Baikal shoreline is home to growing human activities, including controversial industrial concerns, camping grounds, and grazing fields. Environmentalists claim the growing human activities are unreliable, and disturb this heaven on earth. However, the biggest threat to Baikal comes from poachers and careless humans who visit there.
What is the most distinct feature of Baikal? It is a fairies land full of romantic legend. I have heard many stories and this one particularly touched me. Local lore has it that there was a fairy of love. Her job was to distribute love among those who needed that in life. (Who does not need it?) She wanted love to prevail the world over. She also protected Baikal's natural surroundings and used to be on the shores of Baikal every night.
One night she met a man who just appeared on the shore of Baikal out of the blue. The man's name too was Baikal: mortal, deprived, lonely, and it looked from his face that he needed some love in life. The fairy saw him and fell head over heals, taking it as a test case. Led over the waves of sympathy and challenge, they instantly crossed all the distances usually not possible in a short time. They together wove hopes for the future.
Their love came to a tragic end. Baikal thought he was no match to the fairy. He was afraid of himself for being human. And one day, he disappeared all of a sudden without any explanation, without warning. The fairy kept looking for him, found him and cut off his feet, making him unable to move. Who will decide about this love affair?
There are two other lakes that remind me of Baikal: one is the world's highest, Lake Toba in Simatra (Singapore) and the other lake is Saif ul Muluk in northern Pakistan. Besides similar environments, the romantic legends are also attached with both lakes. A man named Samosir once caught a fish in Toba Lake that transformed into a beautiful woman. She married Samosir and started living happily with him, bore him children. Their love too came to a tragic end when Samosir told someone the secret that her wife was a fish. Gods sent relentless rain, flooding the valley. Samosir drowned and an island grew from his body.
And the Lake Saiful Muluk we are more familiar; the Crown Prince of Persia hears about the beauty of the fairy Princess Badar Jamal - the daughter of king of Caucasus - and falls in love. The prince, after wandering and hardships, succeeds in winning the heart of Badar Jamal. The lake becomes the rendezvous where the lovers meet: contemplating matters of heart and their future together, hence the name. The Jinn guard of the queen of Parbat becomes jealous of their love and one day breaches the bank of the Lake to drown them. But the lovers escape and find shelter in a nearby cave, which still exists.
Off the beaten track, up in the upper Hunza Valley, is Lake Sheosar. This place offers beautiful views of distant peaks and a panoramic view of Deosai Plains. At Bara Pani, one may spend hours in a hope to watch a bear or enjoy fishing in the cold waters of Barwai Stream. From here, you can travel back via Skardu and Gilgit to enjoy the most thrilling drive along the Indus River, or continue to glacier areas if you have to. Or just sit there and think about Adam Khan and Durkhane's love lore. And if you hear intently, you hear Adam Khan playing his Ik Tara.
I keep thinking of the lovers and fairies that come to the lakes to swim and dance in moonlit nights. I tend to believe such legends. The first impact that I get after setting eyes on any alpine lake is simply romantic. You do not get tired seeing the play of sun and shade. When you devote enough time to look at lakes - Baikal, Saiful Muluk or any other - it becomes a bit magical - clouding over, changing colors, and cliffs of surrounding hills turn convex and concave according to the slant of light. These seem places where one can forget the stress of today's fast lane life. The legends keep haunting me, though.
Labels: Travel
posted @ 2:05 PM,
, links to this post
In the Heart of Cholistan Desert
Thursday, February 14, 2008
The historic Derawar Fort, enormous and impressive structure in the heart of Cholistan desert, is rapidly crumbling and if the immediate preventative measures are not taken, the edifice will be destroyed and the historians, researchers and sightseers deprived of the view of the legacy of the bygone era. Like so many other historic sites in the country, Derawar Fort is yet another sign of old times we are poised to loose forever due to the apathy of those who are responsible for its upkeep and preservation.
Before it disappears, once again, I was on my way to Cholistan: the place that is crucible of one of the world's oldest civilization, where some of the past secrets are hidden, where history is still active.
Derawar is the oldest fort and the only perennial water-hole in the area. But a visit to the Fort is painful for those locals or foreigners who value the heritage and other signs of past eras. They are disappointed with its fate and neglect of its wonders. Neither is it being maintained as a tourists’ attraction, for which it has good potential, nor as a historical and archaeological monument. Result: the days do not seem far when the Fort would be converted into a sand dune. Main entrance and ceiling have developed cracks. Most of its buildings and portions, which had been an abode of the Abbasi Nawabs, are already in ruins. The three-storey fort is now without any storey. There are also ditches in it which can be dangerous for anyone not walking with care. At least the boundary walls and the main gate of the fort can still be preserved so that something is left as an evidence of the past. The monument has architectural, historic, documentary, and symbolic values. Remain of the monument have to be preserved and saved from total ruination, a danger they are facing at present.
The Fort was built by Deoraj, a prince of Jaisalmir. It was in possession of royal family of Jaisalmir when it was captured by Abbasis in 1735. As per Bahawalpur Gazetteer (1904), in 1747 the Fort slipped from the hands of Abbasis in the reign of Nawab Bahawal Khan due to his pre-occupations at Shikarpur. Nawab Mubarak Khan took the stronghold back in 1804.
The Fort was built by Deoraj, a prince of Jaisalmir. It was in possession of royal family of Jaisalmir when it was captured by Abbasis in 1735. As per Bahawalpur Gazetteer (1904), in 1747 the Fort slipped from the hands of Abbasis in the reign of Nawab Bahawal Khan due to his pre-occupations at Shikarpur. Nawab Mubarak Khan took the stronghold back in 1804.
The lofty and rolling battlements made of thin red bricks, ten on each side of the fort are visible from miles around. The circumference wall is about 40 meters high. There are two old vintage guns mounted on pedestals in the dusty courtyard of the Fort. On the western side are small under ground cells now infested with bats and wood being eaten by termite. As per the fable the secret to change metal into gold was told to Prince Deoraj by his guru Yogi and there still is a treasure hidden somewhere in the Fort. ((This idea keeps coming to me again and again: what if I can find the hidden treasure?) Nawab Bahawal Khan constructed a mosque with cupolas and domes of exquisite marble in 1849. It is a replica of Moti Mosque, Delhi. As per the legend there are some graves near the fort, which are said to be of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the other Muslim reformers who rendered great services to spread the light of divine Islam in the area. A few hundred yards from the Fort in a hall with engraved doors in witch Abbasi Amirs and their families are buried: Nawab Muhammad Bahawal Khan (2nd), Nawab Sadiq Muhammad Khan (2nd), Nawab Muhammad Bahawal Khan (3rd), Nawab Fateh Muhammad Khan, Nawab Muhammad Bahawal Khan (4th), Nawab Sadiq Muhammad Khan (4th), Nawab Muhammad Bahawal khan (5th), and Nawab Sadiq Muhammad Khan (5th), Sahibzada Abdullah son of Nawab Sadiq Muhammad Khan (5th), Rahim Yar Khan son of Nawab Sadiq Muhammad Khan (4th) are prominent among those buried there. There are graves of the ladies of the Abbasi family in the north-western corner.
On the way to Derawar, pass Shahi Wala and Burji 42 Hazar and start thinking of Cholistan as an idea for which no language has an apt word, something waiting to be discovered in some out-of-the-way place, difficult to access, if one is enterprising enough to go out and look; an indefinite thing, taking different shapes in the minds of different individuals according to their interests and wishes.
On the way to Derawar, pass Shahi Wala and Burji 42 Hazar and start thinking of Cholistan as an idea for which no language has an apt word, something waiting to be discovered in some out-of-the-way place, difficult to access, if one is enterprising enough to go out and look; an indefinite thing, taking different shapes in the minds of different individuals according to their interests and wishes.
“Derawar itself is considered as pre historic and pre Harappan settlement. It survived not only during pre Harappan period but also afterwards,” says contemporary historian and researcher Nurul Zaman Ahmad Auj, “The fact that it was the first settlement of Indo-Scythian race also points to the antiquity of the place. The settlement existed when Alexander crossed the Hakra River near Derawar. It was one of the important boarder posts of the caravan route and lastly was the capital of Bahawalpur State. Abbasi rulers turned the Hindu city into a perfect Muslim metropolis.”
Leaving the road and the four wheels driven jeep at Derawar, it was while exploring beyond that I found a few of the desert realities. Aside from wildlife, scenery, big solitude, and nomad culture, Cholistan also offer plenty of wind. The rippled shadows of the landscape dissolve at midday, and then deepen again in the afternoon. You find the sense of isolation. The faint white ridge line that marks the far edge drops beneath the horizon and one finds himself adrift in a sterile sea of yellow dunes. Inspired by the gorgeous absence of everything but curves and light, get in the utter emptiness of the landscape and vividly see slight details: telltale irregularities in the texture of the sand; the metallic ping of the odd pebbles beneath feet; a lone big black ant marching up a dune, its abdomen tilted skyward, lizard (Kirla) raising head to look at you from the distance and then rushing to the sanctuary of a bill in hurry, camels marching in perfect order or grazing on shrub called Katran. There is a complete lack of odour in the air.
There is an inland dry delta southwest of Fort Derawar. Some researchers are of the opinion that this is the place where the Hakra River ended centuries ago. The presence of the delta suggests that all, or most, of the River’s water was sopped up in this area where it would have been used for intensive agriculture and other pastoral needs. There seems to have been enough water to support intensive agriculture but not enough to push through to the Arabian Sea. However, a second group of experts holds the opinion that the Hakra River did reach the Arabian Sea. Both the groups have substantial data to prove their points.
At night, walking through the desert under the light of the moon was quite similar to hiking the dunes in daylight. The only difference was that the air was cool, the sand was gray and the Milky Way was more clearly defined in the sky. Later at night, footfalls did not sound like they were coming from my own feet any more; I kept turning around to see if I was being followed. Even sudden patches of soft sand would give me an occasional start in the dim silence.
Eventually, my paranoid habit of veering caught up with me, when - just short of midnight - I found familiar Jeep tyre marks in the sand. Since I had been walking what I thought was east for nearly eight hours, I had been circling around the same set of dunes near the Fort.
There is an inland dry delta southwest of Fort Derawar. Some researchers are of the opinion that this is the place where the Hakra River ended centuries ago. The presence of the delta suggests that all, or most, of the River’s water was sopped up in this area where it would have been used for intensive agriculture and other pastoral needs. There seems to have been enough water to support intensive agriculture but not enough to push through to the Arabian Sea. However, a second group of experts holds the opinion that the Hakra River did reach the Arabian Sea. Both the groups have substantial data to prove their points.
At night, walking through the desert under the light of the moon was quite similar to hiking the dunes in daylight. The only difference was that the air was cool, the sand was gray and the Milky Way was more clearly defined in the sky. Later at night, footfalls did not sound like they were coming from my own feet any more; I kept turning around to see if I was being followed. Even sudden patches of soft sand would give me an occasional start in the dim silence.
Eventually, my paranoid habit of veering caught up with me, when - just short of midnight - I found familiar Jeep tyre marks in the sand. Since I had been walking what I thought was east for nearly eight hours, I had been circling around the same set of dunes near the Fort.
Labels: Cholistan, Derawar Fort, Tourism, Travel
posted @ 1:00 PM,
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Organizational Behavior
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Organization behavior is one of the most relevant subjects being taught in business schools. It is only after getting into a practical life and joining any organization that one realizes that there is much more to it. Organization design is so much different on ground than what is taught in books. Savvy organization always keep an eye on the organizational behavior and continuously keep practicing change management. That is what can help too assess performance management.
Liebowitz & Associates is one of the best firms serving the business and corporate community for over twenty-five years. Ask them, they will can help you to overcome organizational problems and stand on strong foundation.
Labels: Organizational Behavior
posted @ 1:05 PM,
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What is Doodh Patti?
Tea is taken in Pakistan more than any other drink. You get a cup of tea made by boiling tealeaf (patti) in water and mixed with lots of milk (doodh) and sugar anywhere. Those who prefer more milk boil tea leafs in milk instead of water.
Doodhpatti is taken so frequently that even foreigners traveling to Pakistan know this and its taste (and ask for it). Hence the name of this blog that is showcase for some of my travel articles.
This is my cup of tea.
Pakistan
Pakistan is one of the best travel destinations in the world – desert expanses in Thar and Cholistan, Lush green plains in Punjab, mighty mountains in Northern Pakistan and Chitral, and many just to yourself places, what else. Start of the world history can still be traced down to Pakistan – Indus Civilization. Pakistan has a lot to offer to every one; not only to travelers, hard core adventurers, mountaineers, rural tourists, and vacationers but also to anthropologists, archeologists, and researchers?
